Connecting block for electric-light clusters



Nov. 26, 1929. v. R. DESPARD ET AL CONNECTING BLOCK FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT CLUSTERS 2 Sheets-Sheet- Filed June ,1927

Nov. 26, 1929.

v. R. DESPARD ET AL CONNECTING BLOCK FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT CLUSTERS Filed June 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 wir im VAE'lI/l Patented Nov. 26, 1929 um'rso STATES ATENTV OFFICE VICTOR R. DESPARD AND HANS C. R. POPE, OF VALPARAISO, INDIANA, ASSIGNORS TO MCGILL MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA CONNECTING BLOCK FOR ELECTRIC-LIGHT CLUSTERS Application filed June 3,

Our invention relates to connecting means for connecting the lamp sockets of electric lamp clusters with the conductors from the source of current, and has for its principal object the construction of a unit which may be inserted in the hollow body of the cluster and which will eliminate the necessity of providing a plurality of wiring connection between the conductors and the lamp sockets.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connecting means of this character which will maintain contact with the lamp sockets regardless of their position when such sockets are rotatably or rockably mounted on the hollow body of the cluster.

It is also a purpose of this invention to so construct the connecting means that it may be mounted in the hollow body as a unit, and when so mounted will be firmly fixed in place so that the connections for the lamp sockets cannot get out of alignment therewith and so that V the conductors for supplying current may be readily connected to the unit before the sockets are put in position.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings. However, we wish it to be distinctly understood that we do not intend to limit ourselves to the exact details shown and described, but we intend to avail ourselves of all such modifications as would occur to one skilled in this art and as fall within the scope of the claims.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a side view partly in section o't'a lamp cluster with the improved connecting block mounted therein;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical'section taken centrally through the connecting block;

Fig. 1 is another vertical section 1llustrat ing the means for connecting the conductor to the block;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the insulating portion of the block;

Fig. 6 is a perspective View of the connecting elements removed from the block;

Fig. 7 is a side view of the switch mounted 1927. Serial No. 196,260.

on C{the block with the switch cover removed; an

Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fig. '7.

. Referring now in detail to the drawings, the numeral 10 indicates generally the supporting stem for the light cluster through which the conductors 11 and 12 extend into the hollow body 13 of the cluster. This hollow body supports a pair of lamp sockets 1 1 and 15, the construction of which is similar to that shown in our co-pending application, Serial No. 197,944, filed June 10, 1927, for electric light clusters. These sockets as shown in the (Jo-pending application and at Fig. 1, are rotatably mounted in openings provided at opposite points in the hollow body, each of the lamp sockets being provided with a central terminal 16 and an annular terminal 17 surroundin the central terminal 16, these terminals as shown in Fig. 1 being located within the hollow body 13. Within the hollow body there is provided the U-shaped member 20 which as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 is connected at its lower end 21 to the supporting stem 10 for the cluster and serves to fix the hollow body in position thereon. Tl e upper horizontal leg 22 of the U-shaped member 20 as shown in Fig. 1, is utilized to secure the top portion of the hollow body in place and in addition supports the mounting member 23 upon which a shade or other device may be secured.

Our improved connecting block consists of the insulating body portion 25 secured by means of the screw 26 to the vertically extending portion of the member 20 and as shown in Fig. 2, is provided with a groove 27 in the back thereof, this groove receiving the vertical portion. of the member 20 so as to prevent any rocking of the connecting block about the screw 26. This connecting block at the top is provided withthe grooves 28 and 29 receiving the terminal members 30 and 31, which are provided with screw-threaded openings to receive the screws 32 and 33 by means of which the conductors 11 and 12 are connected thereto. The member 30 as shown, has a down-turned portion3 1 fitting in the groove 35 in the face of the connecting block, for a purpose which will presently appear.

142 and Member 31 as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and (i is adapted to fit into an angular groove 86 which extends horizontally from the groove 29 to a point near the center of the block and then extends downwardly and becomes deeper as at 87,to provide a seat for the vertically extendingportion88 of the member 31. At the end of the portion 38 the member 31 is provided With the outwardly extending portion 39 which projects out substantially to the face of the connecting block. I p v Extending horizontally aoross'the face of the block substa tially midway between the upper and lower edges thereof, is another groove which, asshown in Fig. 2,,hasthe deeper central portion l-l intersecting the pro ong ailT bntbe ng more shallow so that the portion 89 of theineinher is spaced belowthe bottom of the groove All Adjacent the opposite end er the groove 40 there is provided the upwardly'projecting po tions 13 upon which the contact 7 "plates l l and are mountech these plates being proriled With doi'vnturned edges on the opposite sides thereof for fittiiig'on the opposite sides of the projections 12fand 218, and also having the downturnedends. l6 and 47 adapted to V engage the inner end faces o'f-the projections tends from the downturneo 42 and 13 to limit the outward movement ot themembers 14 andeo. These members are also provided ivith elongated slots 18 and 4:9

for a purpose which \villprese'ntly appear. Seated within the deep portion 41 of 'the slot i0 is the coil spring which, as shown, er;-

nd st of P at 44 to the dbwnturned endiof pla-te 45 and serves to yieldingly hold these plates extended outwardly so that their outermost ends \yill project beyond the end "faces of the block 25. This spring also serves to electrically connect members 4 1 and 5&5, but due'to the deep slot 87 the spring cannot contact With theinemher 38 and the terminal 31 is thus insulated from the members 44: and 45.

Nithin the slot 52 directlyheneath:the slot 10, there is provided a contact'member 53 provided with the downtiirn'edinnerfend 54 fitting over the ledge or shoulder f owherethe slot 52 lQGCODlQStlQBPGl as it extends toward the center of the block. Within this deeper P .spr ns 5 1S e t l,., hl Seri s.

being n contact vith' the downturned portion 54: and also with the lower end 89 of the memher 88, so that the c'ontact membef58 is directly coiineetedjby neans of the portions 881a'nd 81 with lthe conductor 12. *At "the opposite end ofthe hl'ocl: i r'omthe iii'einber yided another contactniember 58 fitting in the slot 5 9i'o tthe connecting block. The slot 59v isalsofpro vi'ded 'v'v'itlrthe deeper portion 80 Withinwhichthe -downturned end 61 of "the membe'r 58 lits', and the member 58 is held lin the'eiitreme outer posi tion by means of the spring 62 seated Within the deeper portion oithe slot 59. The

' series switch.

Wall portion 63 between the slots 52 and 59 serves to effectually insulate the springs 56 and 62 from each other so that the contactmaking member 58 is entirely insulated from any of the other contacts.

Any suitable means may be'uti'lize'djfor interconnectingthe contact plates 44*21nd 45 and the terminal member 30 as Well as interconnectingcontactso and 58, In the present instance the means proyided consists of a switch similar to that shown in our cope'nding application above referred to, which switch has a series of contact terminals 70, 71, '72 "and 73 illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 anden 'aging the contact platesBO and 53 iespectii ely, inftlie manner shown in the seetioaarvisw of iF iglf. Tlie switch ca-sing itself is mounted seen 'the tannecting plug bytheaiis or a pair of stress and 76 W'l'ifich extend 't hro ttgh'thehlock :25 and thronghthes'lots 48'and ie' previded ence' thrtliighan use 77W 'vhich f inturne'd projections extenciing and are screw-threaded into thefc'oyer '79 1 thereof toiirmly hold it in position. This switch may be of any suitable-type for-connecting the conductor terminals to the lamp sockets through the connecting-block but We prefer to use the "type of-switch shownin application, Serial 'No. 62,833fifild October 16, 1925, by Victor Despa'rdon multiple Thisswitch beihgerf the retating type is provided "with the rotatable stem 80 having "means indicatedgenerally by thenumeral 81 for causingstepbystep rotation of the'member 80a1id ivith it the bridging cont-acts 82 and'83'n'1ounted thereon over 'the stationary fcontacts 84, "85, 86 and 87 Which connect with the members "70, 7'1,

' 72 and 7 8.

I As shown in Rig. 7, thecontact88 is elongated to contact with the' hridgingcoiitats in two positions thereof and directlyopposite the extended portion 88 ofcontact86, an"

insulated portion 89. Thus 'the s ath as shown in Fig. 7- isinoved into position 'to'ciit oil the supply of currentto'sockets '14 and 15.

In the next position 'ofthe sivitch,fbrittging contact 83 will connect contacts 86 aiid87, vWhile contact 82 will'connect'contadts84land 85. In such position current will be' supplied through terminal 30, connecting "edntact 70, contact 8 1, bridging contact 82', contact; 85,

connecting contact 71 to membersfe'ii and 4A and terminals 16 of the" sockets. The, return circuit running from fternnhals "17"to"fme1i1- he'rs 53 58, Whiclnar'e' connected together by means of connecting"contactsm 'itndf73,

contacts 80 andSTand'bridging contact 83,

and to the terminal 31 through spring 56 and portions 39 and 38.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and advantages of this device will be clear to those skilled in this art, and having thus described our invention what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A connecting device of the character described comprising a base, conducting means thereon adapted for connection with a source of current supply, conducting means thereon adapted for connection with a translating device, means for interconnecting said conducting means, said second mentioned conducting means including a plurality of pairs of contacts slidably mounted in said base and projecting therefrom, and springs yieldingly maintaining said contacts in projecting position, one of said springs connecting a contact of one of said pairs of contacts with a contact of another pair, said connected pair of contacts being insulated from said first named conducting means.

2. A connecting device of the character described comprising a base, conducting means thereon adapted for connection with a source of current supply, conducting means thereon adapted for connection with a translating device and switch mechanism for selectively interconnecting said conducting means, said second mentioned conducting means including a pair of contacts projecting from a face of said base, said switch mechanism having.

means holding said contacts in position on said base.

3. A connecting device of the character described comprising a base, conducting means thereon adapted for connection with a source of current supply, conducting means thereon adapted for connection with a translating device and switch mechanism for selectively interconnecting said conducting means, said second mentioned conducting means including a air of contacts projecting from a face of said base and slidably mounted thereon and said switch mechanism providing means for retaining said slidable contacts on said base.

4. A connecting device of the character de scribed comprising an insulating base, a pair of terminals thereon for connection to a source of current supply, said base having one face thereof provided with a plurality of grooves, contact members seated in certain of said grooves and provided with portions adapted to connect with a consumption circuit, one of said members being permanently connected with one of said terminals, and means secured on the recessed face of said base for selectively connecting certain others of said contact members with said terminals.

5. A connecting device of the character described comprising an insulating base, a pair of terminals thereon for connection to a source 

